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Dead animals in the Harz: Scientists decipher the carrion mystery!
Current research into the importance of carrion for ecosystems is ongoing in the Harz Mountains, with over 250,000 images of wild animals.
Dead animals in the Harz: Scientists decipher the carrion mystery!
The Harz National Park has launched an interesting initiative, to the delight of many hikers and nature enthusiasts. As part of the nationwide “carrion project”, dead wild animals are deliberately placed in the Harz in order to research their importance for the ecosystems. National park scientist Andreas Marten, who has been involved in this project for over three years, reports on the progress and research so far.
By the end of October 2023, 43 carcasses had already been laid out, mainly from deer, red deer and wild boars, which often tragically died in road traffic. Each display site is monitored with wildlife cameras to document the species that feast on the carcasses and the decomposition process. So far, over 250,000 photos and around 12,000 videos have been created - an exciting result for research!
The role of carrion in the ecosystem
The laid out carcasses play a complex role in the Harz ecosystem. Not only do they provide nutrients, but they also serve as a food source for numerous animal species. Predators such as lynxes and wolves, which act as carrion suppliers, contribute significantly to biodiversity. To monitor decomposition, insect traps and swabs for bacteria and fungi are also added in the summer. This allows the role of these organisms in decomposition to be examined in detail.
However, this is not the only project of this kind in Germany. The Bavarian Forest National Park has also been actively involved in the carrion project since October 2022. Impressive initial results are reported here: over 17 species of vertebrates, 92 species of beetles and 3,726 species of fungi were recorded in connection with the carcasses laid out. This underlines how important carrion is for biodiversity.
Raise public awareness and derive recommendations for action
Another goal of this research is to raise public awareness of the issue of “dying in the forest”. In addition to the scientific support of the project, practical recommendations for dealing with dead animals in road traffic should also be derived. This will help better protect and promote wildlife habitat.
Overall, the carrion project impressively shows how the death of animals also has a meaning for the ecosystem. It is an important initiative that enables those responsible to learn more about the natural relationships in the Harz and beyond. The research could also have positive implications for management in other nature reserves.
There are exciting reports for anyone interested, including on news38 as well as on the pages of Bavarian Forest National Park. After all, the project shows once again how important it is to understand and protect natural cycles.